Fitness
How to test what your body can do, such as your VO2 max, grip strength, and push-ups, and what the results mean.
How watches estimate VO₂ max from heart rate and pace, what validation studies found, why your estimate can be several points off, and how to get a trend worth following.
November 4, 2026 · 3 min read
How to do a maximum push-up test with standard form, what a study of firefighters found about push-ups and heart disease, and how to follow your count over time.
November 4, 2026 · 3 min read
Body
What appendicular lean mass and its index measure, the European and Asian cut-offs for sarcopenia, why strength comes first, and what keeps muscle as you age.
November 4, 2026 · 3 min read
How the Brzycki and Epley equations turn a set of several reps into a one-rep max, why they only work for hard sets of 10 or fewer, and how to use the estimate to follow your strength.
November 4, 2026 · 3 min read
How to sit down on the floor and stand up again for a score from 0 to 10, what the studies linking it to survival found, and how to take the test safely.
November 4, 2026 · 3 min read
What maximal oxygen uptake measures, typical values by age and sex from the FRIEND registry, the evidence linking fitness to lifespan, and how to raise yours.
November 4, 2026 · 4 min read
A ten-second squeeze of a dynamometer is one of the simplest measures of overall strength. Here's what large studies link it to, and a standard way to measure it.
November 2, 2026 · 3 min read